When Did The Sky Turn Black
by Luxsword
Summary: So this is an origin story for my lone wanderer, don't worry I'm not going to add every detail from the game cause that would be insane. The firs chapter does follow the quest escape, so this is a !SPOILER! chapter. Do not read of you don't want the beginning and other later parts of the game ruined for you. Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN FALLOUT IN ANY WAY! Mature for violence, o o


**When Did The Sky Turn Black**

**Chapter 1**

**Escape!**

The dream wasn't important, it was rather boring anyway, they always were. He was still groggy from the deep, drug induced, sleep. His father had him on a prescribed sleeping medication, without it he wouldn't sleep, time would slip away from him while he was in his own head, when he studied it was worse. It made his father proud that his son loved to learn but he didn't have many friends and it affected his living habits, at least when it came to sleep. This morning was different, instead of the normal boring peaceful hum drum morning, there was a buzz going off. It took him a moment to realize that the buzz and Amata speaking to him, calling his name, was actually happening and not a dream. The lights were still out and she was speaking frantically at him, he moved to sit up, shaking his head and rubbing his eyes trying his best to wake up. Standing up to fast for him would cause him to black out and fall. He didn't concern himself with her reactions, she would often come to him like this when she was being bullied by the self-proclaimed gang of vault misfits running around calling themselves tunnel snakes. Butch was the one who would start it most of the time, even going as far as trying to fight him all the time. He may have been absorbed in learning but that didn't stop him from taking care of himself and frequently visiting the vault gym. Even turning it into an experiment at one time, then when he would throw boxing into the regime, he got to the point he could take anything Butch had to throw at him. Her behavior was worse than usual, so he made it a point to listen to her carefully.

"You have got to wake up!" She shook him again "Come on you have got to snap out of it!" She was definitely a lot more upset and worried than normal, her whole body was shaking and she held herself like she was cold, her sweet, caring face was wrinkled in worry and fear. Even her voice cracked from holding back her tears.

Her unusual demeanor had him confused, yes she had come to him time and time again but never so early in the morning and never so startled "Amata? What's going on? Why are you so upset?" He hugged her a moment, he stood six-foot tall so anytime they were together she seemed small and frail to him. He let her go to hear the reason for this visit.

"It's Jonas, they killed him... The blood, there was so much blood, oh God, they beat him to death Luxsword. Jonas is dead, and I think your next." She held onto his arms, her grip was so tight it was like she thought he would die on the spot if she didn't hold onto him.

He was taken aback, "Jonas? Dead? Why, who? And what do I have to do with this? Who is trying to kill me?" His Caribbean blue eyes were wide in shock, he didn't do anything he's been asleep, nothing is making sense. "Amata, what is going on? Where's my dad? They didn't...you know.."

"No, your dad left the vault, that's why this is happening." She looked at him confused "Didn't he tell you he was leaving?"

He rubbed his head like he had a headache before running through his light neon blue hair, this was happening to fast, Amata almost in tears, Jonas dying, his dad leaving. Now a bounty on his head with no price. "What do you think I should do? I know I can't stay..." He pulls on the sleeves of his jumpsuit and zip up the front.

She suddenly shoves a pistol in his hands and sticks a few clips of ammo in his pocket. "Take this, I stole it from my dad you'll need it to get to the vault door. I know this isn't your fault, it's my dads. But you're going to have to follow your dad, if you don't..." She looked away in regret. He was her best friend, ally, they tried to date once but it didn't feel right to them.

"Amata, are you going to be okay?" He looked concerned, followed by sadness. He didn't want to leave, he was honestly worried about the wasteland, the overseer would scare the kids in the vault with outrageous stories, but they didn't know if they were true or not.

She smiles sadly, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I think so, I'll try to meet you by the vault door if I can." She begins to run off but stops and reaches into her pocket and pulls out a small box, tossing it to him. "You'll need these to get into his office, good luck and be careful." She smiled once more before turning to leave quickly.

He was stunned, never in his nineteen years of life had he thought his dad would ever leave him behind. They had a typical father-son, sometimes rebellious son, relationship but they usually told each other everything. Bad or good they never hid anything from the other. It made him begin to wonder what else he never told him about. He took the time to gather a few things, his bb gun, baseball bat, the stims from the emergency kit and his favorite comic. It was a memory he didn't want to leave behind. He had no idea if he would find his dad, or even if he could come back with every single one of the overseers goon security after him. He always thought officer Mack had something wrong with him, and now it was clear he was bloodthirsty. Knowing of the warning he stuck his head out of the door he looked left then right, immediately he spotted a guard, and ducked back in. His breath quickened, he gripped the handle of his bat tightly, knuckles turning white, the heavy boots stomped closer and closer, they stopped only feet from the door. He didn't want to hurt anyone but if he had to he would. His brow began to sweat, then he heard the guard yell something, then came the sounds of skittering. He took a deep breath, and rounded the corner, the officer was surrounded by radroaches. The first one he ever saw was during his tenth birthday near the targets on the reactor level, that was also the day he received his bb gun. The officer was busy with the large bugs giving him the opportunity to run past, his heart was beating nearly out of his chest and could feel each pulse in his neck. It didn't help much when he began to run past the DeLoria dwelling, but ran straight into Butch their faces colliding with each other. They both stumbled back holding their noses and mouths, he had to choke down his heart it feeling like it just tried to leap out of his mouth, Butch only began cruising under his breath. Something about Christ, and nosebleed, the rest was mutters and mumbles.

"Lux, man you gotta help my mom, please man she's in trouble."

This was the strangest he had ever seen Butch, scared, and actually asking for his help. He held back from laughing, Butch may be an asshole but his mom was alright even though she drank like a fish. "Why are you asking me? Go squish the damn things or are you..." As much as he wanted to say it he didn't only snickered under his breath.

"I can't, I just can't. The thought of those things creep me out." The black-haired greaser shuddered at the thought of them "Please, if not for me then do it for my ma!" He was practically begging.

"Okay, okay. I'll help her, here take my bb gun. Now you shouldn't have to be scared of them." He gripped his bat and ran in the direction of the yelling from Butch's mom and screeching from the radroaches.

"Wow! Let's do this!" Butch yelled following behind closely.

Disposing of the bugs was easy, they may have grown to gigantic proportions for a bug the size of his pinky, but that didn't make them any tougher. He swung the wooden bat nailing one in the side, it ceased moving almost immediately. The next one died from a couple of bb's that came close to hitting him in the thigh. The last one was a dead from a combined effort, he stomped it when it twitched, covering his boot in slimy bug innards. He breathed easy knowing she was safe now, Butch looked ecstatic.

"We did it! My ma's gonna be okay! Thanks man, you're the best friend I ever had!" He couldn't have been any happier even if he had a feather up his ass. He unzipped his jacket and tossed it at him, hitting him in the face with it. "Here take my jacket, consider yourself an honorary member of the tunnel snakes." He also handed the bb gun back, before going to check on his mom who sat on the small couch clutching a bottle of booze still shaking.

He rolled his blue eyes but threw on the jacket, its thick leather could prove useful against these bugs. The vault suits were thick enough, but the added clothing would prevent any nasty bites. Before venturing out into the large hall he looks for the officer, when looking towards his own dwelling he spotted the man's feet on the floor sticking out from the hall. Damn, he was overwhelmed and killed. He wasn't about to go back to look, he was just glad he didn't have to do it. He hurried to make up time, he bolted through the halls of the darkened vault, lights flickering, the buzz coming in five second increments. It was a nightmare and he was just wishing it would end. He passed the cafeteria, the flash of a blue jumpsuit caught the corner of his eye causing him to stop and step back. Oh God, it was grandma Taylor, she laid there on the red and white checkered floor. She was dead, surrounded by radroaches, he cupped his hand over his mouth. He frowned and backed out of the room, why did his father have to leave, if he would have just stayed this wouldn't be happening. No one would be getting hurt or dying. He leaned against the wall a moment to gather himself, he wanted to cry but it wouldn't stop what was happening, it wouldn't bring things back to the way they once were. He continued to the clinic, he hoped his father left him a note, he wanted so badly to know why. When he ascended the stairs he could hear Andy, the vault Mr Gutsy, he sounded as though he was fighting more of the pests. The smell of burning filled the air, it was disgusting, the pungent smell of the burning roaches burnt his nose making him cough. Officer Gomez was present, when he was seen, the man ran to him causing him to ready his bat. The moment he saw the man's face he lowered the weapon made, game instrument.

He was sorry, on edge from the invasion. "There you are. Oh man, you're lucky it was me who found you." He ran a hand through his dark hair. "The others they're looking for you, and well I guess you must know." He looked around, almost jumpy at the scratching sounds that echoed the halls. "I know you're not responsible for any of this, you're a good kid. I suspect you're leaving, I hope you find your dad, but clearing out of here is the best thing for you to do." He spoke almost a mile a minute.

He didn't know how to respond to any of that, he just looked at the man with regret. "Thanks, officer Gomez." He said rushing past

Andy greeted him, whirring around, stating that his father had stepped out for a bit. Stanley wouldn't speak to him directly only walked past muttering about this being his father's fault and it would be best for him to leave. He made it into the office, going straight for the desk. He practically tore the drawers out searching through each one like his life depended on finding something, anything from his dad. Files, reports, nothing for him. He sighed in disappointment, he did however grab the Bobble head that sat on the desk. He asked for it plenty of times when he was a kid, the thing was a toy he never understood why he couldn't have it. He walked to the door looking back once more, his eyes fall on the Bible verse on the wall. The lights flickering on the stitched words giving it an eerie feel, at the time he had no idea that it was an omen of the events that were to come in his life.

He turned on his heels to leave the clinic wing, this time not giving it a second glance. The atrium was wide the lower level he entered was darkened to a point, light emitted from the vaulted ceiling from the few lights that remained lit. Tom and Mary Holden stood there to the side, he could hear Tom contemplating escaping, while Mary called him out on being too rash. He knew they were going to get hurt with security cracking down to find him and to prevent anyone from leaving. Promptly he ran to the hall, to the door guarded by two guards. What he didn't expect was for them to have pistols, and to open fire on him, he rushed them swinging his bat. A bullet whizzes by his right ear while another glances by his right arm, he connects his bat with the side of ones head causing him to fall into the wall, knocking him unconscious. He hears the other guards pistol go off, he brings the bat around hitting him square in the knee, the man stumbles giving him opportunity to nail him in the back of the head. The crack of the bat connecting with the security helmet rings through the short corridor. The helmet cracks from the force of the blow, the mans eyes roll up and he falls to his knees before collapsing on the floor. He's breathing heavily, and finally able to swallow the lump in his throat, and get his heart to calm.

When his nerves subside is when he feels the pain. He looks to his right shoulder, it was hard to see over the black of the leather but the glint of red sparkled in the low light, a small hole punched into the fabric. The cotton mesh spattered with blood, a steady stream pumped from the wound, he winced in pain when he reached to touch the jacket. He wanted to see if the bullet went all the way through, he didn't know if he was lucky our not, the bullet made a clean exit out the back. From the amount of blood it didn't hit anything vital but that didn't keep it from hurting like hell. He injected himself with a med-x, it worked fast the pain subsiding to a mere pressure feeling than a sharp burning. When he looked back out Tom and Mary were gone. He was glad they got away, he searched the officers for their ammo and their pistols. There may have been more guns stashed away somewhere, but at least he could prevent anymore shootings from these two for the time being. He kept moving, someone jammed a locker in the door way, causing the door to open and close, the tall locker only allowing it to lower a foot before going back up into the wall above the frame, the gears were making a strained sound from the constant use. As he ascended the small stairwell, two radroaches sat there, antenna flitting around feeling their way around their new environment. They fluttered their wings when he got to close and began to jump at him. He kicked the first, it falling into the other, then he stomped. They made angry chirps, he tried to get past them but ran into four more on the landing above the stairs. As they bit at him he could feel the pressure from their bites along his legs, once more he eradicated the four with his baseball bat, the wood no longer a brown and the handle becoming to slimy to hold. He ran through, he would be happy to never see another radroach as long as he lived. He was startled when he ran by the window to the Mack family dwelling, as Allan Mack hit the glass. He could see Gloria behind him rocking back-and-forth, he started his rant with 'This is your fault'. It hurt to be blamed like this, he didn't do any of this, why would he want to?

Through the next door was another vault citizen lying dead, he must have been trying to repair something when he was killed. "Stop right there!" It was security chief Hannon, he runs at him, night stick in hand and swings. He blocks it with his bat, the weapons ricochet from each other with a bang. With a yell he swings back hitting Hannon in the shoulder, the impact rang out with a crack. Hannon gasps crying out, it was broke, causing him to drop his weapon. Before either of them realized they were swarmed by radroaches, he backs away as several pounce the chief knocking him over. As much as he wanted to help he couldn't forgive an attack on his person for no reason. He was almost there, to the overseers office, he caught a glance of two people standing in the security room. Crouching quickly he eases closer, he could hear the overseer, they are asking questions about his whereabouts, then he heard Amata. She was lying for him, then when he said officer Mack's name he knew this would get bad. He couldn't believe what he was going to do, he looked at the pistol carefully, like it would begin talking to him and tell him what to do. If Mack was involved he knew things would get bad for Amata, whether her father was there or not. He took a deep breath and released it quickly before standing and rounding the frame of the door, he aimed low. Pulling the trigger as fast as he could, he managed to hit Mack in the left leg five times, causing him to yell. It didn't stop the man from trying to hurt him though he limped after him, clearly determined to hurt him but more than likely kill him. He put the gun away, his hand shaking too much from the disturbing way officer Mack looked at him, he pulled back and punched the man in the face. It took several blows more than it should have but he finally knocked the man out cold, Mack's noise broken and bleeding, his lip split open. He wanted to say something to the overseer but he only glared at the asshole.

He wanted to make sure Amata was okay, if she was hurt then he'd go back and hurt her dad. He walked in the main room that separated the office from the overseer's home, Jonas was still lying on the floor. Amata was right, they had beat him to death, his face was almost unrecognizable, his head cracked open, his arms and legs were broken. Good lord even the fingers on his hands were twisted the wrong way, it was clear he tried to block the onslaught of blows. It must have been excruciatingly painful, to die in that way. He covered his mouth, and closed his eyes tightly holding back tears once again. When he opened them again he saw something sticking out from the pocket on his lab coat. It's inscribed to him. So Jonas was supposed to give him this when his father left. Grieving would have to wait, he needed to worry about the living, himself included. He rushed into Amata home, she was sitting at the table face in one hand, the other hand holding herself. He knelt down and gathered her into his arms, tightly hugging her. She burst into tears hugging him back, she didn't want to let go of him, she didn't want him to leave but her father wouldn't stop trying to kill her childhood friend if he didn't go.

"Thank you, if you hadn't come when you did..." Her breath hitched in her throat. "I knew my father wasn't himself, I just..."

He hugged her once more before letting her go. "You're not hurt are you? I swear if you're hurt I'll..." He looked away angry and stood.

She grabbed his sleeve, eyeing the bullet hole frowning sadly "I'm fine, but you're hurt. I'm so sorry this is happening. I just wish there was more I could do."

He took her hand in his own giving it a slight squeeze, smiling at her in reassurance "I'll be fine. I'm more worried about you." He sighed deeply upset. "I have to get moving. See you by the door?" He asked a little lighter of heart.

She smiles and nods letting him go, to watch him walk out before sinking back into the chair behind her. Across the way he kneels by the locked door and behind to pick the lock, the first bobby-pin breaks with a snap. He curses under his breath and tries again this time successful, smacking the release on the frame of the door the door opens. The room was square the desk in the middle a bulky half circle. Behind it was the terminal but he wanted to dig through the lockers in his office first. Lucky, he found the password to the terminal. He also found more bullets, med-x, and stim-pac's. With the password in hand he goes through the files on the terminal without trouble. He had a feeling the overseer had secrets, the files on the computer confirmed them. The vault had been opened before, several times in fact. A few of the times were for exploration and research the other time was when a woman escaped. That explained the few radroaches he saw growing up, looking at the images documented he was glad it wasn't the large ant creatures. He looked at the grainy, off colored images of the bugs and the settlement called Megaton, it looked just as good as any place to get to when he was outside. He was glad he wasn't going to be thrust out into the wasteland completely blind. With a destination to begin his search he selects the terminals option to open the overseers tunnel. Hidden machines went to work, the sound of hydraulics and gears catch his attention to the rounded desk. It begins to rise from the floor, metal stilts slowly lift it, revealing the well hidden tunnel below the office floor. With a deep breath he descends the small staircase the short corridor was cold, causing him to shiver. Through the door was a larger hall, one radroach inhabited the room, he promptly kills it. If Amata follows this way she might have trouble with it. Then again when they were fifteen he showed her the targets in the storage room on the reactor level, one decided to make an appearance. The girl screamed the most blood curdling scream then beat it into a greasy spot on the floor with a box. He had never laughed so hard in his life. With the push of a button a concrete wall lowers into the floor revealing the exit from the vault. Except for coming to a complete stand still, this is the slowest he's moved since he awoke to the sounds of everything tumbling down. It was also the saddest moment when looking at that large gear shaped door, knowing that beyond that door was the wasteland. A harsh environment, crawling with lord knows what, holding his fate. His father was somewhere out there, holding answers, the truth. Approaching the console to the door he hesitates, the door behind him held back more of the security gunning for his life. With a heavy heart and a shaky hand he pulls the lever, the room fills with the sound of a warning buzz much like the one in the halls of the vault.

He turned around at a large bang from the other side of the door, Amata stood there, hands covering her mouth. She was shocked that he was able to open the door, and almost in tears because he had to. "I never thought we would be here." Heavy tears began to fall from her eyes.

He hugged her tightly once more, they had always been there for each other, but now he was going to be leaving "Come with me. We can start a new life out there." He smiled in hope trying to convince her "People have been in and out of here several times, I'll protect you." He wanted to beg.

She smiled a melancholy smile and shook her head. "It's tempting, but my place is here" she took a step back looking away. "With my father acting the way he is, I need to stay and try to get things back to normal, even if it is just a little." She looked back hoping he would understand.

He looked down defeated, trying to talk her into something once she's made up her mind about something was practically useless. The large vault door began to slide out from its secure place in the wall to roll across a track along the floor, at the point it began to open the interior door swung open and two guards ran in night sticks in hand ready to swing. They came right for him, one falling flat on his face when Amata stuck out her fit and tripped him. He backed through the large circular opening into the man-made cavern, the guard stopped dead in his tracks. He seemed to fear taking one step from the vault as if the ground was made of acid. With one last look he saw Amata run away before the guards could catch her, one more deep breath he ran. Almost tripping over one of the many skeletons, it was disturbing to know that the vault was so cruel to leave people out here instead of allowing them safety inside. The last door before finding out what awaited him gleamed with rays of sunlight peeking through the worn wooden panels it was made of. He took one last opportunity to gather himself. He knew to be aware of everything, but how would he be able to handle himself, his careful way of talking earned him the job of counseling those who would ever get married and had trouble with the union. But it was rare to have a wedding in the vault, and he doubted he would get the chance to talk his way out of things. This was it, one more breath and then he presses his hands on the warming wood. With one push a flood of sun pours over him, he holds his hand over his eyes cracking his fingers slightly to see through them. He had never been so overwhelmed in his life.


End file.
